CDC Rather Powerless In Halting Spread Of Coronavirus

It may come as a shock to many Americans but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will most likely prove rather powerless in halting the spread of the coronavirus. High profile incidents covered by the media often reassures the public that the government stands ready to rush to our aid in case of a national disaster. Following a tornado or hurricane, we often see news coverage of FEMA workers spreading out and moving from door to door offering help to Americans in need. This reassuring media coverage is misleading. Be prepared that in the case of a major crisis, such as the coronavirus pandemic or disaster the government will not be much help. If and when a large "Armageddon" event covering a large area does occur we will quickly become acutely aware that God helps those who help themselves.

On route to a meeting at the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva on Tuesday, Prof Gabriel Leung, the chair of public health medicine at Hong Kong University, told the Guardian an “attack rate” of 60-80% may occur. Currently, the CDC, even with its 11.1 billion dollar budget, is showing that it is powerless to even rapidly conduct a large number of tests on those likely to be carrying the coronavirus. The epicenter of this rapidly spreading killer bug is Wuhan, China and it is far from contained. Much is still unknown about this virus but accompanying its spread has been a great deal of economic damage as businesses are forced to temporarily close. Claims by President Trump the health and economic toll will soon pass and be very limited may be overly optimistic.

The trend of the government pandering to victims that we have seen develop over the years may be a result of the battering former President Bush took in opinion polls following Hurricane Katrina. The pictures that the media posted following a slow response in handling Katrina victims haunted the Bush administration and painted Bush as being insensitive and out of touch with the plight of poor Americans. At what point did government become responsible for dispensing sorrow and grief?  The bar to show concern for every shooting or incident is currently set so low it impairs what gets done in Washington.

During A Real Disaster, Help Will Be Hard To Find

It appears in our media-driven world, the President has been given the role of consoler in chief and is expected to pour forth sympathy and cast out concern for every American following an incident of destruction or violence. It does not matter if it is an accident, shooting, or some natural disaster. In recent years all this has reached new heights where even in the case of a few deaths it is not uncommon to see the President leaping upon Air Force One and rushing to the scene to sympathize with families and friends. In this politically correct world, it has even gone so far as to the President being expected to weigh in as to minor tragedies that occur throughout the world.

A great deal of time is wasted performing these acts that could be better used and focused on solving many of the real and pressing problems that face America. I contend this pandering is a major disservice to Americans in that it fosters the impression that government will be there for you if you ever get into a pickle or jam. While reassuring to many the false illusion of a competent and effective government ready to come to your aid comes at the cost of raising unrealistic expectations. I suspect that with the formation of the massive Homeland Security Agency this may be a case of reassuring the masses that their tax money has not been wasted.

A perfect example of just how impotent our government has become was demonstrated following the Boston Marathon bombing. The government threw a huge amount of manpower into searching for the perpetrator but in the end, it was a homeowner checking the tarp on his boat noticing a spot of blood and not the thousands of law enforcement officers that brought the manhunt to an end. No matter how much planning is spent it is silly to think someone can quickly rush to an area they are unfamiliar with and institute actions to efficiently solve massive problems. Do not be fooled, in the case of a real disaster the government is generally not very effective. The real help will come from your neighbors, this has been the case throughout history.

All disasters are not created equal. In all reality, the Federal government would be relatively ineffective and not much help in a major crisis that covered a large area and affecting tens of millions of Americans. Anyone who has ever experienced the frustrations caused by a bad storm with power outages and such will tell you most help comes from nearby and government is not the answer. People who adopt the attitude that they are a victim following a real disaster and then simply wait for the government to arrive to set things straight are making a huge mistake and are risking the kiss of death.


Footnote; This link to the SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST is in places slightly out of date! note the dates! Still it will give you a great deal of insight to what is happening.
https://multimedia.scmp.com/infographics/news/china/article/3047038/wuhan-virus/index.html?src=article-launcher